An outsider's view of the PG battle in this series

[Nikolokolus]

Mark Stein weighs in with some thoughts on the playoffs and the various point guard battles that have been a defining characteristic so far in the first round

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playo...?columnist=stein_marc&page=PointGuards-090427

6. Rockets-Blazers (Houston leads series 3-1)

With this series shifting back to Portland, Aaron Brooks might be primed to hoist it back into PG prominence. The little guard from Oregon uncorked 50 points in the first two games of the series when he was playing in the vicinity of his collegiate prowess. Things didn't go nearly as well back home in Houston, when Brooks missed two crunch-time free throws that were nearly fatal in the Rockets' 89-88 escape in Game 4.

The Blazers, though, have repeatedly reminded us in this series why they've been linked in trade speculation for the past year-plus with the likes of Kidd and Philly's Miller. Even though Brandon Roy is getting up there near Kobe, LeBron and D-Wade in the class of all-around backcourt greats who can do plenty with the ball, Portland sure looks like it would benefit from the presence of a floor general to lend some creativity and steadiness to an offense that is too deliberate/predictable/Roy-centric.

Portland wasn't emotionally ready for a crucial Game 1 and squandered home-court advantage, exposing some leadership shortcomings.

The Blazers' spotty late-game execution, especially in Game 4, left them unable to win one of two road games decided by a combined four points, preventing them from dredging up all the first-round doubts that have plagued Houston throughout the Yao Ming era.

Boiled all the way down, Portland is 0-3 in this group's first taste of playoff basketball when Roy doesn't score 42 points.

Makes you wonder, as good as Roy is, what this team of young colts could achieve with a veteran string-puller.

I can't find a single thing to disagree with and normally I think Stein is a half-informed idiot

 

[Rodolfo]

I'll be shocked if we don't make a change at the PG spot over the summer. Or upgrade at least.

 

[ABM]

I can't find a single thing to disagree with and normally I think Stein is a half-informed idiot

Yeah, so? KP wasn't gonna overpay. He said he was gonna go to war with these guys.....and has. They've been as successful as can be expected. Now, he has some relatively major summer work to do.

All that said, I wonder what this series would be looking like had Martell not gone down? If this were an experience team, it wouldn't have been as significant as it appears to be. As it stands, though.........

 

[BlazerCaravan]

I'll be shocked if we don't make a change at the PG spot over the summer. Or upgrade at least.

Yep. Denver has made a great case for "improve your PG position, and the rest works itself out". I like Blake a lot as a player, and have been behind him all season, but it looks like it is time to find a floor general we can mature with for the next 5 years.

Oden is a club, Roy is a sword, and LMA is a rifle. They are all effective weapons, but without a general, they can't wage war.

 

[hasoos]

IMO the only way you can screw up a team by getting a good PG is if you already have one and you create playing time issues.

Now there is another option. You just start using a different weapon beside Roy, such as Rudy. In the last game, the team went big for a while, and it worked very well. It would probably take some time to work out the kinks, but I think a Roy/Rudy back court will work.

One of the things the article doesn't mention is the team's lack of weapons. The starting unit has 2 guys who basically give you a doughnut every night, and they would probably give you a doughnut even if playing with Magic Johnson. That is a problem in itself when facing a team that doesn't have to worry about guarding everybody.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Valid points I think. However, he really pulls a boner when he says

Boiled all the way down, Portland is 0-3 in this group's first taste of playoff basketball when Roy doesn't score 42 points.

We lost the last game by ONE point. If we score 2 more points in the game, the conclusions are the exact opposite of what he's trying to say. So, I find this type of thing tiresome. Of course, if we win by 1, I'd quickly get tired of all of the "bake it" baloney. Maybe I just can't be pleased by anyone who uses this type of logic? This may be why Hollinger puts much more stock in +/- than in win/loss record.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

One of the things the article doesn't mention is the team's lack of weapons. The starting unit has 2 guys who basically give you a doughnut every night, and they would probably give you a doughnut even if playing with Magic Johnson. That is a problem in itself when facing a team that doesn't have to worry about guarding everybody.

I think that, next season, we start Oden and maybe Martell. A good PG will be able to make those two guys produce. And Batum can grow to the point of producing as well. Since we can't really trade for Magic between Games 4 and 5, talking about Przy and Batum as two doughnuts is ind of moot. We have better weapons; they're just not ready yet.

 

[MARIS61]

I can't find a single thing to disagree with and normally I think Stein is a half-informed idiot

He is.

The fact you agree with him doesn't change that fact.